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Music: McKenna joins The Oprah CD Club

Lori McKenna's album "Bittertown" gets a major-label re-release via Warner Bros. on Monday. Expect sales to shoot up Oct. 3. According to this morning's feature in the Globe by Scott Alarik, that's the day Stoughton's self-described "housewife-songwriter"  will sing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" along with her booster Faith Hill. Hill sings three of McKenna's songs on her hit album "Fireflies," including the title cut, which they'll sing for Oprah. If Oprah has the same effect in music that she has in books, expect "Bittertown" to move a lot of units by Halloween. McKenna will also appear on the NBC Thanksgiving special hosted by Hill, who's showing a level of generosity unusual in the business. Big stars tend not to highlight the fact that they don't write their own stuff. And they almost never work this hard to elevate the people who do. Kudos to Hill for showing class. As Alarik's story about McKenna makes clear, it couldn't happen to someone more deserving than this talented and seemingly ego-free mother of five. McKenna appears at the Boston Folk Festival on Sunday. Call 617-287-6911 or visit www.bostonfolkfestival.org.

Music: Not hip, but hopefully remunerative

Somewhere between "Survivor" and "CSI" last night on CBS, a familiar twinkling guitar sound and high, hushed vocal came out of my TV. It was The Pernice Brothers' "There Goes The Sun," from their current album, the super-excellent "Discover A Lovelier You." And it was playing as the music for...a Sears fashion ad.

The morning papers

Reading Mark Jurkowitz from late yesterday, it doesn't sound like Bill Koch is thrilled with the Globe's editor's note yesterday, in the latest chapter of the "Things I Love" festivities. ... In the Globe, Renee Graham previews Lalah Hathaway's performance at Berklee tonight, harking back to the singer's student days there. ... Joan Anderman talks to the current head of NEMO and the Boston Music Awards. ... Nick Zaino laments the dearth of gay comedy in town. ... Sandy MacDonald endorses the North Shore Music Theatre's "Camelot" at the Shubert.

In the Herald, there's a big roundup package on weekend music festivals, including Mixfest and the Beantown jazz fest. ... Most interestingly, Bob Nesti profiles Cyrus Brooks, an amazing high-school tapdancer called "Boston's Savion Glover" by no less an authority than former Broadway in Boston honcho Tony McLean. ... And Chris Faraone profiles Boston's "hip hop conscience," known as DL.

Theater: It's an, um, golden opportunity

"Urinetown: The Musical" has apparently been a real hit with audiences at the Lyric Stage Company. The Lyric has added one final performance, a 3 p.m. matinee on Oct. 16. And Greg Kotis, Tony-winning author of the book and lyrics, will be in town Oct. 7-8. The first night he'll attend the 8 p.m. show and hold an audience chat afterward with director Spiro Veloudos and members of the cast and production team. The next day he'll speak about the development of the show in the Lyric's "Growing Voices" series, and event that's free to the public. Tix and info at the box office, at 617-437-7172 or the web site.

Quote of the day

"I wish New Orleans was dry and Washington was under water."
                                - Tom Waits, at the latest New Orleans relief concert
                                   (quoted in the New York Times)

The morning papers

This morning's Alex Beam column is short, making room for an "Editor's Note" conceding that a number of facts that might have cast a better light on Bill Koch were omitted from Beam's Aug. 9 column about the gazillionaire behind the "Things I Love" exhibit at the MFA. No word on whether this will put an end to Koch's litigous saber rattling.

The Globe's Ed Siegel liked the ideas behind  "McReele" at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, and the main character, but says too many "stick figures" surround him. But the Herald's Terry Byrne liked the whole thing, especially Samuel Ray Gates as the title character. ... The Globe's Sandy Macdonald liked "Edwin Drood" at Trinity Rep, and so did the Herald's Bob Nesti.

In the Herald, Sarah Rodman mulls the J. Geils Band's chances of joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, after the band made the list of nominees yesterday. Bonus points for mentioning Reputa the Beautah. Heather Eng writes about Billy Joel's generosity to the New England Conservatory and the BSO, which gets a Names & Faces item in the Globe. And Sean McCarthy has a piece on a Click Five pal and songwriter with an album of his own coming out.

The morning papers?

I can barely muster the will to post after reading the latest depressing news on the newspaper industry. The New York Times Company, including the Boston Globe, both of which pay me occasionally to write for them, bless them, and the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News all announced layoffs yesterday. The news follows by just a few months the bloodletting at the Boston Herald that, um, freed me to join the world of, well, unpaid bloggers. If you're wondering about the expression on my face this morning, remember Bill Murray in "Broken Flowers." I will leave you with a link to Romensko's coverage of the news. But hey, to get all that other arts news I usually link to here, why don't you all run out and buy a Times and a Globe and yes, even a Herald this morning, just to throw a couple of bucks at the problem, 'kay?

Music: Concert listings

*Audioslave, with Seether and 30 Seconds to Mars, at Tsongas Arena, Lowell, Oct. 31. Tix, $40.50, on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the box office, Ticketmaster and teapartyconcerts.com.
* Ben Folds, at the Orpheum, Nov. 5. Tix, $25-$35, on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the box office, Ticketmaster and teapartyconcerts.com.
* The Los Lonely Boys show set for the Orpheum on Sept. 30 has been moved to Avalon. Tix are now $32.50. Orpheum ticketholders who paid $35 will get a $2.50 refund at the door; those who paid $29.50 are getting a bargain. And if you want a complete refund for some reason, those are available too.

Theater: Benefit show for NSMT

Former Broadway in Boston honcho Tony McLean will helm a fundraiser for the fire-ravaged North Shore Music Theater at John Hancock Hall in the Back Bay on Oct. 24. McLean will direct Jason Robert Brown's "Song for a New World" with a cast of local theater faves plus the composer (left) and his band, the Caucasian Rhythm Kings, along with Lauren Kennedy. Boston performers in the concert production include Leigh Barrett, Mary Callanan, Brian Robinson, Kerry Dowling, Andrew Giordano, Brendan McNab, Maryann Zschau and Lynn Von Thaden. The money raised will go to the NSMT's hoped-for $7 million Encore Fund to help keep the theater alive as its physical plant is rebuilt after this summer's disastrous blaze. Tix, $35-$50, are on sale via the NSMT box office number, 978-232-7200, and www.nsmt.org.

Arts: Get out and walk

Red Auerbach in green Chuck Taylors? You'll have to pick up hard copy to see the pictures, but both the Globe and the Herald have stories on a new City of Boston initiative to get people out walking around and looking at the city's collection of statues and other outdoor art. Given the price of gas, kudos to Mayor Menino on this one.